Minor Chords – The Elements of Sad Music

If you want to expand your playing, the best way to do so is by learning chords on the bass guitar. Whether you are a beginner or a player just looking to increase your knowledge, chords can not only help you to improve your skills as a player, but they can help to improve your knowledge of the fret board.

In this article, we will discuss some basic minor chords on bass guitar that will allow you to get a jump start on your chord playing.

Getting Started With Your First Chords

Our first minor chord is E minor. E minor sounds very similar to E Major. The only difference is a single note. To play the E minor chord, start off by playing your E string as an open note. Next, play your A string on the second fret for the note B.

Next, play your D string on the second fret for the note E. Finally, play your G string as an open note. Notice that the E minor chord is built off of the triad E, G, and B. As long as you play these three notes together and the E is the lowest sounding note, you will have an E minor chord.

Adding the G Minor to Your Repertoire

Next up is the G minor chord. This is one of the most popular minor chords in minor music, do in part for the same reasons that G Major is one of the most popular chords; it is powerful. The G minor chord is one of the largest sounding of all the minor chords. To play the G minor chord, start off by playing the third fret of your low E string, which will give you the note G.

Next, skip over your A string; we won’t be using it. Play your D string as an open note. Finally, play your G string on the third fret to achieve the note B. The G minor triad consists of the notes G, B, and D. You can play these notes together any place on the neck. So long as the G is the lowest sounding note, you are still playing the G minor chord.

Getting Familiar With the C Minor

Our last chord is the C minor chord. You may recognize this chord is the C Major chord. They are almost the same exact chord. The only difference is one note. First, start off by playing the third fret on your A string to achieve the note C.

Next, play the first fret on your D string for the note Eb (Eb and D# are the same note, only played differently, known as enharmonic notes). Finally, play your G string as an open note. The C minor triad consists of the notes C, Eb, and G.

Explore the Fretboard And Experiment Around

Once you get the hang of these basic minor chords on bass guitar, study them. You may notice that they are all made of the same intervals. Use this information to build your own triads on the bass guitar.

Keep in mind that in order to play a traditional chord, regardless of the inversion, the root note should always be the lowest sounding note in order to maintain the chord quality. Good luck, and have fun!

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About The Author

Hi, my name is David Woods. My first-hand experience with a private tutor was one filled with frustration. That's why I had created this website to help bass players get a head start in their musical journey.